South Africa - Cape Town

We woke to a clear sunny day to wander a little of the waterfront, which is really great, a docks' regeneration along the lines of other cities, with many restaurants and shops, as well as some working areas.

We took the hop on and off bus tour around the city for orientation, learning some about its history, and then got off to take the cable car up to Table Mountain.  It was clear, but for a slight heat haze, and only slightly breezy, so pretty ideal conditions just before midday.  We wandered the top enjoying the views in all directions and across to Robben Island, and watched the cloud beginning to build up and spill over the edge like a waterfall, as the 'table cloth' was being thrown over.

 Robben Island in the back ground

 Table cloth coming!

Camps Bay

We returned via the stunning beach at Camps Bay, a magnet (apparently) for the great and good, and on through Sea Point, which is just round the corner on the coast from the city centre and is home to many commuters.  It was described as the 'nearest thing to European living' i.e. crowded!  Some residents have lifts up to their front doors.  Didn't fancy that sort of congestion.

As the day came to a close, the wind got up more and the cloud spilled all along the top of Table Mountain and we appreciated more just how ideal the conditions had been for out visit there.  We experienced some chill while dining on the waterfront.

Closed for the next two days

Next day, the wind was even stronger and the white surf was being whipped up over the water, even in the harbour.  The mountain was shrouded in cloud and the cable car was shut down because of the wind - how lucky were we!  

After another great breakfast, we headed for town and walked up to the Bo Kaap area,  an Islamic ghetto of note, where most of the houses are painted in bright colours.  The explanation was that the residents were slaves and had to wear drab clothes, so they painted their houses instead!  We had a look in its small museum before heading for the larger South African and Jewish Museums in the centre of the city.

Along the way, we passed through Company's Garden, started by the Dutch East India Company as a place to grow vegetables and fruit in its early days, but converted to plants and trees later.  

After a short visit to the SA Museum, we spent quite some time at the Jewish one, where we read and saw lots about the life of Jews in SA and the support that many individuals gave to fighting apartheid.  Every white person arrested at the raid on Liliesleaf Farm was a Jew and Nelson Mandela has paid tribute to many of them, in particular Helen Suzman, a politician, who fought tirelessly in parliament during that era.  The wind continued to howl.  We then took a bus trip around the west side of the mountain to discover where all the wind and cloud was coming from and again came back to Camps Bay etc, after a very sand-swept Hout Bay along the way.  It explained the sand on the top deck of the bus!

Next day, we were up and ready for a trip to Robben Island, only to discover that the ferry was closed down due to the windy conditions.  Worse still, the bit of the museum that was located at the ferry terminal was in the process of relocation to the island!  We were both very disappointed.

I walked to the local Harley dealership and bought a t-shirt as you do, then we went to town for a quick bite before seeing a very impressive and energetic African Dance show in a small theatre.

On our last day, we took a tour south to Cape Point, the southernmost tip of the Table Mountain National Park peninsular, went to the lighthouse at the top and then a short detour to the better known Cape of Good Hope, the southwestermost point of Africa.  It remained windy throughout, but the views were fantastic.

 Hout Bay

African Penguin Colony visited along the way

 Looking north from Cape Point

Atlantic & Indian Ocean currents to left & right

Wind surfers at Cape of Good Hope

Round the coast some then inland, we got to the Stellenbosch wine making area and had a tour and tasting at a small one before returning to Cape Town.